Natalie Barletta – Special to the Southern News
It’s safe to say that some shows just stick with us throughout the years, even though the stage lights have long been turned off. When you flip through the channels, you stop at one and can’t help but watch. They are like the little black dresses of television shows; they will never go out of style. These shows include, but are not limited to “Friends,” “Sex and the City,” “Gilmore Girls,” and “I Love Lucy.” My question is, what factors make these shows still a favorite today?
We still see shows that are from the last few decades that are still running today on television. When we see them on TV, we stop and watch. We can relate to them with timeless, and unforgettable characters, story lines that people even now can relate to, and of course how the shows are stand out. To put it simply, these shows are modern day classics. Many people can honestly say that there will never be shows like them ever again.
In my opinion, it’s because of originality, entertainment, and relatability. To be successful, shows must entertain the audience. Whether its by a gripping drama that has suspense that you can’t stop watching it, or a comedy that you can’t stop laughing at, shows have to capture you in some way, shape or form. The show has to form a connection with the audience. That connection doesn’t stop when the show ends. In fact, it’s safe to say the fan base of that show will grow, even when it’s off the air. How else do you explain people who weren’t even born or thought of during the time of the show liking it? Exactly.
For example, young women everywhere can relate to Carrie Bradshaw as she searches for love in the streets of New York. We relate to how real the show is, as it talks about sexual issues, things that no show had touched upon years before. We enjoy her as she shops for top fashions on a dime. Carrie has undoubtedly become a television icon over the years. People love her and want to be her. During the entire run of the show, people went as far as buying her famous name necklace, and wearing that famous outfit that she wears during the title on the show. Because of the impact that it had on culture, it’s a show that you still see on reruns. They even did a prequel of the show called “The Carrie Diaries.”
“Sex and the City” isn’t the only show that had this amount of impact, nor is it the only show that is on reruns. Shows like “Friends,” “Everyone Loves Raymond,” “Full House,” and “Golden Girls” are still being shown. Each of these shows are different, unique, and entertaining. Their characters have warmed their way into our hearts and onto our screens. These shows must be special, because they have been on for all of these years and still continue to show.
There’s no doubt that these shows have become a part of our culture, and our way of life. We’ve watched it when it first aired, we watch it as it airs as a rerun, and we will watch it ten years from now.
